You may think that the company most notable for making some of the most extreme examples of minimalist watches would want to keep it that way. With their other perpetual calendar watches, H. Moser & Cie left the dials nearly barren with only a date and a small month indicator hand as giveaways that the watch had a complication at all. Some may stand aghast at the fact that H. Moser & Cie has changed this formula for its new Pioneer Perpetual watch by adding in a second window on the dial, but there is a reason for that.
Consider what the Pioneer is supposed to be for Moser. It started as a sporty-styled watch that could serve as a daily wear piece (though we at WristReview have yet to test the durability of it). The point was to make the Pioneer a watch filled with an adventurous spirit, ready to take it all on. The Pioneer Perpetual continues that spirit, with a 42.8mm stainless steel case that’s water-resistant to 120m.
Part of being a practical watch is being legible, while I haven’t heard any serious complaints of legibility with the more subtle perpetual calendar layout, I can only imagine that trying to read that tiny hand’s position might get frustrating on a day to day basis.
To make it easier on the eye, a window has replaced the hand with the month written inside it. I prefer this over the small hand on previous models, it’s asymmetrical of course, but it’s not out of place. For a bit of balance, there’s a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock, and at 6 o’clock there’s a seconds subdial.
Those who are looking for some minimalism needn’t worry, either, as there are two versions of the Pioneer Perpetual. One has a funky blue fumé dial with legible markers and bright colour, perfect for everyday life. The reference is 3808-1201. But, for those who want something kind of sporty with a touch more elegance, a brand new colour is introduced: Burgundy. Along with this new colour of dial, the large markers of the blue dial are removed, and only the small dots on the outer edge of the dial remain. The reference for the burgundy fumé dial is 3808-1200. Both the dot markers and the leaf-shaped hands are given a treatment of SuperLumiNova.
The double-barrel HMC 808 calibre provides the life of the watch, with a minimum of 7 days of autonomy at a rate of 2.5Hz. For easier servicing, the entire escapement assembly is modular and can be replaced quickly, offering more service efficiency. The leap year indicator remains on the back of the watch, visible through the sapphire caseback. We don’t have a price for these, yet, but they are both limited to 50 pieces worldwide.
Visit H. Moser & Cie here.
